Industry News

Radar/EW

Pentek releases 3U OpenVPX 52xxx board family - News

August 30, 2013

NEW JERSEY. Pentek has announced the 3U OpenVPX 52xxx family of Xilinx Virtex-6/7 FPGA-based software radio modules. The 52xxx boards are reduce cost by 20 percent and power by 15 Watts over Pentek’s 53xxx family of products, and support VPX REDI (VITA 48) with rugged and extended temperature options.

Unmanned

e2v releases ITAR-compliant Argus thermal imaging cameras - News

August 29, 2013

Teledyne e2v

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. e2v has announced Argus thermal imaging cameras with updated mission-critical features that allow them to operate in various environments. The Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) cameras are manufactured with European components and are not subject to USA International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Radar/EW

Advanced Super Hornet increases stealth signature, combat radius - News

August 28, 2013

Boeing

ST. LOUIS. Recent tests of Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs), Enclosed Weapons Pod (EWP) retrofits, and other enhancements on an F/A-18 Advanced Super Hornet demonstrated a 50 percent reduction in radar signature and a 130-mile range increase over current Super Hornet variants. Testing occurred over three weeks at Patuxent River, MD, and St. Louis, MO, and was jointly funded by Boeing and Northrop Grumman.

Radar/EW

Lockheed Martin wins $260 million Army contract for Q-53 counterfire radar systems - News

August 26, 2013

Lockheed Martin

SYRACUSE, NY. The U.S. Army has signed a $260 million contract with Lockheed Martin to build 19 additional AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) counterfire radar systems. The Q-53, formerly known as the EQ-36, is a long-range radar system that provides enhanced 360-degree protection to soldiers from indirect fire. Mounted on a five-ton truck, the Q-53 can be automatically leveled, rapidly deployed, and remotely operated with a laptop computer or from a fully equipped command vehicle.

Unmanned

General Dynamics wins $562 million Ground Mobility Vehicle contract - News

August 23, 2013

General Dynamics

WASHINGTON. The Pentagon has signed a contract with General Dynamics to build Ground Mobility Vehicles 1.1 (GMV 1.1) for the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract has a potential value of $562 million, and allows USSOCOM to submit separate delivery orders as needed. The firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract is scheduled to run through September 2020.

Unmanned

Aero Surveillance introduces VTOL unmanned surveillance system - News

August 22, 2013

Aero Surveillance Inc.

WASHINGTON. Aero Surveillance Inc. has announced the ASV 150-EC unmanned airborne surveillance system, an Open Architecture (OA), Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV). The highly modular ASV 150-EC is optimized for Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP), and incorporates a POD payload designed to receive next generation smart ARDENT electro-optical surveillance.

Avionics

First night vertical landing made by F-35B on Aboard USS Wasp - News

August 21, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

FORT WORTH, TX. An F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant piloted by Lt. Col. Russell Clift, a test pilot with the U.S. Marine Corps, made the first night-time vertical landing aboard the USS WASP.

Cyber

Navy to enhance software code security with tool from GrammaTech - News

August 20, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems GrammaTech

ITHACA, NY. GrammaTech won a U.S. Navy contract to develop a tool that will enable computer systems to understand and react to malicious cyber attacks and still continue to run safely by specifying expected behavior in their software code.

Comms

U.S. Marine Corps releases SPEED software upgrade - News

August 19, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems U.S. Marine Corps

ORLANDO, FL. A new version -- 11.1.1 -- of the the Systems Planning, Engineering and Evaluation Device (SPEED) software for electromagnetic spectrum situational awareness and operations was released by the U.S. Marine Corps.

Unmanned

Roke VTA 2.0 target indicator launched at AUVSI - News

August 15, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design Roke

WASHINGTON. Roke launched version 2.0 of its Visual Target Analysis (VTA) system at the 2013 Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) conference. VTA 2.0 is a moving target indicator system that uses video streams from manned or unmanned aircraft to tracks and map vehicles and personnel in real time.

Comms

NuWaves Power Amplifier extends range of advanced communication systems - News

August 15, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design NuWaves Engineering

WASHINGTON. NuWaves Engineering introduced the NuPower Xtender linear bi-directional S-band Power Amplifier (PA) at the 2013 Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) conference. The NuPower Xtender generates an average power of 6 W, and can produce over 10 W of peak saturated power.

Unmanned

Puma AE Small UAV achieves nine continuous hours of flight on solar, battery technology - News

August 15, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design AeroVironment, Inc.

WASHINGTON. AeroVironment announced at the 2013 Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) conference that a Puma AE Small UAV (SUAV) powered a long endurance battery and by Alta Devices solar technology achieved nine continuous hours of flight during a recent outdoor flight test. The Puma AE’s 9 hour and 11 minute flight is longest endurance of any SUAV in its class.

Unmanned

Insitu's ICOMC2 GCS allows one operator to control multiple unmanned platforms - News

August 15, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design Insitu

WASHINGTON. The Insitu Common Open-Mission Management Command and Control (ICOMC2) Ground Control Station (GCS) was introduced at the 2013 Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) conference. ICOMC2 allows one operator to control multiple unmanned vehicles simultaneously, and has an open-architecture system can scale from soldier-worn devices up to large operational Command and Control (C2) systems.

Unmanned

RQ-11B Raven UAS navigates using Rockwell Collins GB-GRAM-M GPS receiver - News

August 14, 2013

Rockwell Collins

WASHINGTON. Rockwell Collins announced at the 2013 Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) conference testing of the Rockwell Collins GB-GRAM-M GPS receiver cards integrated with the RQ-11B Raven Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). This is the first time any UAS has used live Military code (M-code) signals to pilot accurately.

Radar/EW

GA-ASI demonstrates Northrop Grumman EW capabilities on Predator B - News

August 14, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design General Micro Systems, Inc.

WASHINGTON. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA ASI) announced at the 2013 Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) that the Predator B Electronic Attack capability was successfully demonstrated at the Marine Corp Air Station (MCAS) in Yuma, AZ. The demonstration displayed integration of a jamming pod containing a Northrop Grumman Digital Receiver/Exciter into a GA-ASI Predator B Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to evaluate the system’s Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities.